Project links Sarah Buckland to award

Drawing connections between two historical figures who met in Paihia has seen a Northland student excel in a national history award.

Sarah Buckland, of Bream Bay College, has come third in the Young Historians Award for Year 13s throughout the country.

Her display board took around two months to produce, with the 17-year-old spending six weeks on research and two weeks for presentation. The project was firstly for an NCEA assessment, and was then submitted for the Young Historians Award.

It required students to find links between two historical figures - one Maori, one Pakeha - and present their findings.

Sarah chose William Colenso, a missionary who printed some of the first pamphlets in New Zealand, and Renata Kawepo, a Hawke's Bay chief who was also a missionary. The pair met in Paihia and travelled together to Hawke's Bay in 1844.

The judges called Sarah's display striking in appearance, that "upon examination, detailed studies of the significance of Colenso and Kawepo, as well as an examination of the historical links between the two, impress the reader with the level of underlying research and quality of historical ideas evident in the work".

Sarah was happy with the comments.

"It's just really nice to get acknowledgement of the work I put in," she said.

Sarah's history teacher Rose Waerea said it was the first time the school had submitted a student's work for consideration for the award.

"When I first saw Sarah's board I knew it was good enough to enter," Mrs Waerea said.

Sarah is also studying calculus, statistics, physics and chemistry. She is considering study of science, engineering or both at university next year.